A life devoted to mathematics, technology and collaboration

‘I probably would have ended up a techie anyway’

From mathematics to software development

Nifont’s love of numbers and logic was instilled in him from an early age. ‘My parents were both mathematics professors,’ he says. ‘And my grandfather was a schoolteacher. It was obvious to me that I would do something with mathematics.’ In 1974, he enrolled at the newly established Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, where he graduated in 1979. Since he was a good student, he was offered a job at the university as a lecturer in Mathematical Cybernetics. In 1993, he defended his thesis and obtained his PhD.

The road to ByeleX

During his academic career, Nifont wrote countless programmes — both for educational purposes and industrial applications. ‘IT was still in its infancy at the time, but I was fascinated by everything: programmes, algorithms, data structures.’ Around 1994, a chance encounter changed his career forever: ‘Through friends, I met Herman Vissia, who had come here from the Netherlands to explore business opportunities. That’s how our collaboration began — first informally, later with an official partner company in Eastern Europe. We’ve been inseparable ever since.’

Cross-border collaboration

Nifont is very enthusiastic about the collaboration with the Dutch team:
‘The challenging assignments we were given required all our knowledge and expertise. Everything was done professionally and with respect and sympathy.’

There is also a special atmosphere within his own team in Minsk: ‘Our people are not only excellent specialists with a university background, but also open and communicative. This creates a productive, pleasant working environment.’

An event that has stayed with him is a team outing on Friday the 13th: ‘We went fishing for three days, 200 kilometres from the office — almost no internet, only telephones. But we forgot to warn the Dutch team… and on that very day, software problems arose! It led to heated discussions, but also a lot of laughter afterwards. An educational adventure.’

Impressions of the Netherlands

During his visits to the Netherlands, Nifont was impressed by the organisation and infrastructure:

‘The order, the roads with sometimes as many as twenty lanes, the public transport, the shops — everything was well organised.’ Rotterdam, with its modern architecture and boat trips, made a lasting impression, as did walks through Amsterdam and a visit to the big zoo. A visit to Willemstad with the client and Hermans’ forest house are also among his favourite memories.

Projects to be proud of

During his long career at ByeleX, Nifont worked on many projects, but a few stand out above the rest.
The Welplaat project was special: ‘for the first time, I felt that our software really meant something to people.’ Just like the project for Sorgeloos, which was built practically from scratch in a very short time. And of course ArboNed: ‘I devoted a large part of my life to that.’

For Nifont, a project is only truly successful if it combines creativity and usefulness:

‘The best moment is when something you’ve built from scratch works well and you see that people really need it.’

Nifont is currently working on revamping a healthcare system with modern technologies and on a project to develop an AI chatbot. ‘There’s plenty to do.:)’

Peace, family and fishing bliss

Outside of work, Nifont also knows what gives him energy. ‘To recharge my batteries, I like to go fishing in the Polesie region, where my father comes from. I find complete peace in nature, the rivers and the marshes.’ He also enjoys spending time with his two grandsons and watching football.

His family shares his passion for mathematics: ‘My wife is also a mathematician, so our children didn’t have much choice — they both became programmers.They work with me, and to be honest, they already know more than I do. I’m proud of that.’

A life of dedication

If he hadn’t ended up in IT, Nifont thinks he might have become a biologist, writer or professional sports coach.

‘Things turned out the way they were meant to. I have devoted my life to IT, and a large, wonderful part of that is my collaboration with ByeleX.’